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Caleb Chambers
| cityofbirth = Bonneville | countryofbirth = St. Gregory | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears = 1993-1998 | youthclubs = Bonneville United | years = 1998-1999 1999-2018 | clubs = Bonneville Juniors Bonneville United | caps(goals) = | nationalyears = 2002-2018 | nationalteam = St. Gregory | nationalcaps(goals) = | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Caleb Peter Chambers (born March 24, 1981) is a Gregorian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for League A side Bonneville United, in whose system he spent his entire career. He was captain of Bonneville United for ten seasons, from 2008-09 as club captain. He also plays for the St. Gregory national team. A product of the Bonneville United Academy – and for one season, its spin-off club, Bonneville Juniors – Chambers is regarded as one of United's greatest-ever players. He is the second-longest-tenured player in club history behind Greg Holloway, having first made an appearance for the senior team in 1999, and holds various other records including matches and minutes played, as well as consecutive starts. Chambers is also well known for his on-field rivalry with FC Chapman midfielder and captain Jason Beverley. From 2003 to 2016, the two were teammates at international level but fierce rivals at club level, particularly given the recent successes of both clubs. Club career United Academy At the age of 12, Chambers was invited to the Bonneville United Academy, where he played for the Under-13 and Under-17 squads. Bonneville Juniors Prior to the 1998-99 season, the United Academy formed a stand-alone club known as Bonneville Juniors, who joined League C. Chambers, under a development contract with United, was given the option to stay with the United Academy or turn professional by joining Juniors. Chambers chose to sign a new contract with Juniors and played the first half of the 1998-99 League C season with that club. Bonneville United Juniors' affiliation with United meant that any player signed to a professional contract with Juniors could transfer to United at any time. On March 24, 1999, Chambers' 18th birthday, he joined United and came on as a substitute in the last three games of the season. Chambers made the full switch to United for the 1999-2000 season, spending time in midfield alongside club captain Tim Callaghan, who was playing his final season. Chambers appeared in 23 of the 30 league matches, starting 11 of them, as United completed a sweep of the League A and SGFA Cup titles. At the beginning of the 2008-09 season, Chambers was named club captain. On November 6, 2015, Chambers suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee in a match against Banks City and was taken off the field on a cart. Two days later, he underwent partial meniscus removal surgery and it was announced that he would be out for 10 to 12 weeks. Marcel Manninger and Greg Holloway were named joint club captains in Chambers' absence. Chambers returned to training in late January 2016 and made his return to the lineup on February 13 at home against Helena Point Rangers. Chambers was named as a substitute, marking the first time since 2001 that he had been in the United lineup but not been in the starting eleven. Chambers made the final appearance of his career on May 19, 2018, coming on as a substitute for the final ten minutes of the team's last game of the 2017-18 season against Helena United at Ford Stadium. Chambers received a standing ovation from both Bonneville United and Helena United supporters as he took the pitch, causing extra stoppage time to be added to the end of the match, which finished 0-0. Team captain Zane Brackney gave Chambers the captain's armband for the remainder of the game. Retirement On May 28, 2018, Chambers held a press conference to formally announce his retirement. Also present at the press conference were United manager Yann-Marc Kleffer and teammate Zane Brackney. Chambers said: "My heart wants to keep playing, but my body says to walk away while I still can," referring to his numerous knee injuries which ultimately ended his career. Chambers also announced that, with Kleffer's blessing, he would support Brackney assuming the captaincy for 2018-19 and beyond. Style of play Chambers is widely considered to be one of the best midfielders ever to play in St. Gregory, and among the best born in the territory. A box-to-box player, Chambers was typically deployed as a central midfielder but could also play both attacking and defensive midfield positions. His passing range and accuracy made him a key component of attacking moves, while he also possesses an eye for goal and is known to shoot well from long distances. He was frequently called upon for set piece duties due to his placement and ability to curve the ball. Personal life Chambers is of English and Polish descent. His paternal grandparents migrated to St. Gregory from Nottinghamshire in the 1950s, while his mother was born in Poland but moved to Luton, England with her family as a child. He is a fan of Nottingham Forest, due to his family origins in that area. He grew up in Le Centre and now lives in northern Bonneville with his wife, Leanne, and their two children, son Dominic (born 2008) and daughter Kendra (born 2011). In an interview during the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign, Chambers stated that he considers himself a conservative on most issues, but that he would have voted for Barack Obama if able to do so (Gregorians are not able to vote in presidential elections). Category:Player pages Category:Bonneville United F.C. players Category:Bonneville Juniors F.C. players Category:St. Gregory national team players Category:Retired players Category:St. Gregory national youth team players Category:SGFA All-Stars players Category:People from Bonneville